Rebirth
by Hitotsumami
Summary: Eira is a fifteen year old young woman who is just about to go into adulthood when suddenly her entire life is interrupted as a Dragon appears to her.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Pebbles On The Lake

Eira stood on the banks of Isenstar Lake, looking over the silent sheet of glimmering water. Snow was everywhere, for it was the midst of the winter season, and even the lake, although not frozen, seemed to be more still than usual. The snow was thick under her boots, and the air was chilling even though the wind was mostly calm. The trees that stood along the waters and further inland were bare of their leaves with last night's snow resting upon the top of the branches. A few birds chirped as they attempted to clear themselves a spot, just as squirrels and other day time animals scurried through the snow as they emerged from hiding.

The scene was calming to Eira and she took very slow breaths, taking in the cold and letting it go through her being, and then releasing it. Eira would be turning sixteen years old tomorrow, which would signify adulthood in her village, at which point she would take up a husband as soon as possible and make a home for herself amongst her village mates. It was a very intense time for her, as it was for her mother and her mother's mother, but it was the way it was always done, and she was prepared.

After all, it wasn't all bad. She learned from her older sister, Elisa, that the Coming to Age Celebration was something to embrace and feel proud of. Sure, she would be leaving the care of her home, but it was the natural way of things. And after all, the celebration was full of presents from her peers and elders, blessings, plenty of food and drink, music, and storytelling. It should be something she should be looking forward to more than anything else.

But today was her last day as a child, and she decided she would spend it around the lake she grew up with, Isenstar. Isenstar was one of the larger lakes in Alagaësia, which itself was a huge continent filled with all kinds of people and places. It sat in the northern regions of Alagaësia, fostering the huge city of Gil'ead, along with many smaller villages, one which was her own, Imoria. Imoria rested on the most northern part of Isenstar Lake, along the edges of the great forest of Du Weldenvarden, the forest where the ancient elves reside. Eira loved it here, for the calming waters of Isenstar always gave her comfort and the forest of Du Weldenvarden always struck her curiosity. Of course, she had never wandered into the forest before, but at a younger age she could have sworn she saw a group of elves along the edges of the forest, staring back at her while she was on the lake.

But on this day, she saw no elves peeking through the forest at her, but only giant ancient oaks and calm waters. The silent was suddenly ended, however, when a figure appeared on her side and spoke.

"What's on your mind?" asked Elisa, Eira's older sister by five years.

Eira smiled back at her. If there was anything else in the world she cared about more than the lake or the forest, it was her family and sister. She turned and looked back out at the water, then said, "I'm not sure exactly."

Elisa chuckled, reaching down and picking up a pebble off the ground. She examined the smoother surface in her hand for a few seconds, then she gave it a swift toss and it skipped across the water, disturbing the silent water for a few seconds before finally coming to rest and sinking. "I had the same feeling," she responded, smiling. "The key is accepting it and not to let it bother you."

"You can say that," Eira said looking at her sister. "You have a working husband and a home and a child. You've gotten past all of the tough parts. I'm still just a girl."

"Not tomorrow, you won't be." She pat her sister on the back when it didn't seem her mood would change, and then turned to make her way back to the village Imoria. "Don't stay out too late, Eira. You need your rest for tomorrow. I would stay out here with you longer, like we used to do but… I have things I need to take care of myself now. As you will soon, if you just have faith. Everything will be fine."

Eira didn't respond, but just gave a small somber nod as she heard her sister's footsteps grow quieter as she grew further away until she could not hear them at all. She then reached down and picked up a stone, a light bluish white one which gleamed even in the setting sunlight. It was a particularly smooth stone, she considered, giving it more precedent then it probably should have been given. She lifted it up and then tossed it towards the lake. It hit the surface with a small and sunk to the bottom of the shallow banks.  
Eira shrugged, crossing her arms. She turned back towards Imoria, straightening her dress and making sure she seemed pleasant, and began her way back. As she walked, she saw a quick dark movement on the top of her vision, and she looked up at the sky. Where she thought she saw something, a shadow of movement, there was now nothing. She did spot a few stars shining in the distance, but that was all. Sighing, she looked forward again and made her way to her home.

The sun seemed to rise too soon for Eira.

She awoke in her bed, put on her clothes, and went to the living area of her small home and had breakfast with her mother and father. Her mother was a stout, thick woman named Elderna, a somewhat independent and feisty woman for her village. Her father, Nedor, was the town's book and record keeper, a silent man who let his wife do most of the decision making.

She sleepily sat at the table as her mother passed her a bowl of stew, a mix of carrots, radishes, and potatoes with a gravy type of broth. She spooned it up and took slow sips, letting the warmth fill her. She gave a nod towards her mother and thanked her for the good breakfast. It would be one of her last within this home.

"You'll need it for tonight, Eira!" said her mother, but it might have well been a shout for her loudly she spoke. "Tonight is your special day!" Her face turned red, as if she was holding in something fantastic, some secret she wasn't allowed to tell, and her smile beamed beyond any she had ever seen before.

"I know mother," nodded Eira, who did not carry the same weight of happiness as Elderna did.

"Oh come on," Elderna responded, tapping the ladle of the stew pot against the edge of Eira's bowl. "Your sister had no problems at all with the Coming of Age Ceremony. She took it with strides, and look at her now. A well respected woman among the entire village. And an amazing husband to boot!"

Although Eira did not like her mother comparing her to Elisa her sister, her last sentence struck her the most. The main attraction of the Coming of Age Ceremony was the being presented with a husband. In Imoria, the female was the one who chose the male, usually out of a small group, five or six, during the ceremony. Whoever she chose she would be bound by for the rest of her life.

Of course, there were cases when a young woman did not find the proper man during the Ceremony, but that was a very rare thing, and it did not last long or looked upon with good eyes from the rest of the villagers. Eira knew she would also be presented with a group of individual boys, and she would have to choose one for her own. _That_ was what made Eira the most nervous.

Elderna watched as Eira did not give a response, and then she eyed Nedor with a frown. "But try to pick a better husband than I did," she muttered, causing her husband to look up from his book at his wife. "I wish I picked Delron, for crying out loud!"

"Oh hush," said Nedor in a voice that was quite different from his wife's. It was an aged sullen voice, but one that did hold a bit of wisdom. However, getting the hint from his wife, he turned towards Eira and said, "I'm sure it will go fine. I will be there, your mother will be there, Elisa will be there. You will choose a good husband. I have faith in you, my daughter."

That did make Eira give a small smile. Her father was not the closest father, but when he did speak, it was comforting words. She gave her parents a nod and finished eating the rest of her breakfast stew.

The day went by quick. Eira had spent her time wandering through the village, greeting everyone who greeted her. Most people looked upon her with big smiles, as if she was supposed to do something amazing on the spot. Others gave her warming smiles of pride, and some of the boys looked at her as well, which made her blush and walk faster.

There were many males her age in Imoria, but none she truly had any strong feelings for. There was Eldnei, who was two years older than her and a strong blacksmith. There was Igor, who was a soldier, an archer to be specific, one year older. There was Kalverslack, a butcher's apprentice, but he was actually the last person on her list because of the smell that seemed to stick to him. And there was Eralor, a boy three years older than her who was the Earl's son. He was a friend since she was young, and he would frequently go with her and Elisa out to the lake to explore and play.

But Elisa wasn't sure if Eralor would be among the chosen few for her to choose from. And even if he was… she wasn't sure she would make that choice either. It was all so draining she gave a long sigh, her mind in a million places at once. It was then that Eralor appeared before her, as if by faith, giving her a smile.

"What's the matter?" he asked, obviously having noted her deep drawn out sigh. "You seem a bit down, Eira."

Eralor was, by all means, a handsome young man. He had short brown hair, intense brown eyes, and a strong figure. He was not as bulky as Eldnei, nor as thin as Igor, but had a good balance between the two. His smile and his eyes always caught her sight, and did care for the boy, if not in a deep way, as friends at least.

"I'm fine," lied Eira, her eyes looking forward.

Eralor didn't say a word for a few seconds, which for some reason made Eira nervous, then said, "We should go to Isenstar today, before the Ceremony begins. One last time."

The thought made Eira's heart skip a beat, and she almost staggered. One last time? It was customary to keep the men who would appear before her during the Ceremony a secret, but was this a hint that Eralor was not chosen? Would Eira have to pick some other man, even Kalverslack? The thought made her shiver. She was so distressed, she formally declined the offer. "I shouldn't go," she said. "I don't want to get filthy before the events. I need to look my best, my mother says."

Eralor shrugged and gave a nod. "Fair enough," he said. He then stopped, which made Eira stop as well, and gave a small wave. "I should be off then. I also have some things to do before tonight. I'll see you at the Ceremony though." He gave a smile and vanished between two buildings. Eira watched him go, sighed, and continued on her walk.

It was 6pm and the sun was setting in the west, creating a fabulous glow across Isenstar and Imoria. The entire village had entered into the party. There was music at every corner, food spread out on benches stretching many yards long, dancers, story tellers telling ancient tales, fire breathers, sword fights for show, magicians showing off varying skills, and all kinds of other amazing sights.

Eira walked through the streets. She was wearing a beautiful red gown that stretched just below her ankles, black flats, and a striking light snowy blue rose in her hair behind her ear. Her face glowed and her smile was bright. At her side was Elisa, and her other side, Eralor. Although she was smiling, and she did truly enjoy seeing all the amazing festivities, especially because they were all surrounded around her, she still had a deep anxiousness insider her, one she was not sure how to deal with. She didn't let it appear on her face, nevertheless.

"Isn't that amazing?" commented Eralor towards a magician. Eira turned to face the man who seemingly made a small stone rise above his the palm of his hand, split into many small stones, catch on fire, and fly around in insane patterns before returning to its original state.

It truly was amazing. Magic had become somewhat common knowledge in Alagaësia after Queen Nasuada had taken the throne some fifteen years ago. Before then, as far as she knew, magic was used in horrible ways to treat people unfairly, but now that she was the queen, it was better maintained and kept in check. Something like splitting a rock didn't alert Queen Nasuada, however, killing someone with magic, which was totally possible, would.

She didn't know much before Nasuada's time. She had been the queen almost all her life. Although Imoria itself had an Earl, that person gave fealty towards Queen Nasuada over any other. From what she did hear from story tellers during some occasions, she did know of Galbatorix, who was the previous King. He was what they called a Dragon Rider, one of an ancient organization of men and elves and dragons. The Dragon Riders were a group of people and dragons who wandered the land and protected its citizens. However, Galbatorix had turned and killed the other Dragon Riders and taken throne for himself. It was then, fifteen years ago, when a new Dragon Rider named Eragon appeared, slain the king, and made Nasuada the Queen before leaving Alagaësia to take care of new Dragon Eggs in hope that they would hatch and remake the Dragon Riders.

But that was all she knew, and everyone knew that. The details escaped her, but she could learn more whenever she wanted, her father being a book keeper. But now was not the time to talk of ancient orders and kingdoms. Now was a time for celebration into adulthood in the village of Imoria.

"I wonder if I could ever use magic?" speculated Eralor as they walked away from the magician. "I bet I could do amazing things, like move mountains."

Eira giggled at him, which made him give her a wondering look. "You don't seem like a magician type in my opinion," she said, smiling. "You're destined to be a politician, aren't you? I know of none magical politicians."

Eralor shrugged. "I could be the first. Eralor the Politically Magical." Eira chuckled again as did Elisa.

It was then that five horns blew, one after another, a resonance so deep it echoed through all of Imoria. Eira stopped in her tracks, knowing exactly what that meant. It was time. Her mother appeared from seemingly out of nowhere, grabbing her by her wrist and pulling her away from Eralor and Elisa, walking down the street in a hurry.

"Oh dear oh dear, we must hurry Eira!" shouted her mother, and as she walked the rest of the town paused whatever they were doing and gathered behind her, all walking with upmost anxiousness.

They walked for what seemed like forever, her wrist starting to get sore from her mother pulling at it so much, until they finally came to a stop along the banks of Isenstar Lake. The sun had already gone down and now the moon was bright in the winter sky. On the edges of the bank was a raised platform where five individual men stood. She stood facing then, and on her right and left was a huge gathering of villages, almost everyone.

Eira turned to her right, seeing her mother in the crowd who was giving her a hand motion to go on and Elisa behind her giving a warming smile. She turned to her left and saw Eralor, giving a nod but seeming somewhat sad, although it did not show clearly on his face. Eira frowned, wishing more than ever he was beside Eralor right now, or Elisa, or his mother or father.

She felt her heart beat faster as she turned towards the raised platform. There stood five men. She recognized them all. She was not particularly close to any of them, but she had talked to them on occasion and knew them by name and by profession, but not much else. To her dismay, Kalverslack stood in the center, the tallest of all the others.

She gulped, feeling her legs freeze up as she tried to take a step forward. Her mind was racing, trying to decide which she should pick, or if she should deny them all. It was totally a possibility, but knew that everyone would look down on her for it, for these five individuals were personally handpicked by the elders for their pros. It would be nothing less but insulting to deny these men, and even if she found a husband at a later date, she would always be one rank down from all other women in the village.

She turned back towards Eralor, but he seemed to vanish in the huge crowd and she could not pick out his location. Tears almost came to her eyes and she turned back towards the choices. Mind racing she examined each one, thinking about them, about who she really wanted to spend her life with. She knew them all, some she considered friends… but husbands…? But what choice did she have.

She took a deep breath, centering on one individual and opened her mouth. The silence was like ice as they awaited her decision, waiting to hear what she would say, who she would choose. Her voice froze up. She closed her mouth, took another deep breath, remembered what her mother, father, sister, and Eralor had told her, and knew she had to decide.

She opened her mouth and called out –

Isenstar Lake Exploded.

Eira's mouth held open as she saw a dragon fly out from the lake, roaring at the top of its lungs and shooting a golden flame fifty feet into the air, as if to burn the moon. It snapped down towards the shore, biting one of the choices in half as it clawed its way onto shore. People screamed, cried, yelled, ran for cover. The remaining male choices for the ceremony, at the sight of the dragon and one of their own being eaten, dashed for their lives, abandoning the ceremony.

Eira stood frozen in her place, her eyes wide, her jaw dropped as the dragon made its way on shore, giving another tremendous roar and blowing fire into the sky. The dragon was at least twenty-five feet long from tail to head. It was a striking orange dragon, a blast or red like a scar across face and underbelly. Horns sprouted from its head and made a trail down its back all the way to the tip of its tail. It had two giant wings, both orange with red tips, and for a short moment Eira seemed to notice its left wing seemed to be damaged, bleeding perhaps but she could not be sure. But nevertheless, it was the most awesome sight she had ever seen in her life.

"A-a-a d-dra-dragon," she muttered.

Suddenly she felt someone pull at her side, but she could not take her eyes off the sight. She could still hear though, and she heard Eralor yelling at her.

"Come on Eira! It's a dragon; we have to get out of here! Your mother is waiting for you with your sister, hurry up!"

"Look at it," muttered Eira, her voice so hollow it almost didn't seem to make a sound at all. Eralor gave a pause to look up at the huge dragon as it stopped in front of her, roughly twenty feet away. It's eyes were fierce and violent, moving around in its sockets, but keeping basic direction: Facing Eira.

_Human!_

It was as if a voice boomed in her head, and she knew it came from the dragon. It was unlike anything she had ever heard or felt before, and at that moment she felt as if she could drop to her knees in amazement.

_I will have my revenge!_

Then the dragon opened its giant mouth and a spray of bright flame shot towards Eira and Eralor and overtook them in an instant. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Wise Witch

Eira was dead.

Or at least, that is what she was sure of. Around her was the fiery breath of the golden orange dragon that had just jumped out of Isenstar Lake. She was just about to choose a future husband, a man to be with forever. She was just in the midst of a great celebration. Then, suddenly, a fiery death was upon her.

But as the vibrant orange flames engulfed her, she noticed she felt no pain. Opening her tightly closed eyes, she realized the fire was going _around_ her, pushed to either side as if an invisible barrier had been placed around her being. Turning slightly, she noticed Eralor was beside her, looking just as awestruck as she was.

A few seconds passed and then the flames died down, leaving the two of them completely unharmed. The dragon was still there however, and when it noticed the two humans were still perfectly okay, it gave another huge roar which shook the entire town of Imoria.

"We have to get out of here!" yelled Eralor, grabbing Eira by the wrist and pulling her along. This time Eira followed, however she kept her eyes on the huge dragon that stood behind her. To her fear, the dragon wasn't going to give up and started dashing straight towards them, running faster than any human could possibly ever achieve.

Just before the two of them would have gotten squished beneath the thunderous feet of the dragon, Eira and Eralor took a sharp turn and jumped in between two buildings for safety. The dragon noticed and spun around, roaring and attempting to claw at the two people. However, the dragon was too bulky and could not fit between the narrow alley that separated the two buildings. It's huge claws scraped against the side of the buildings, tearing it apart, but it was enough to keep them safe, or so they thought.

_Ono wilae deyja!_

The thunderclap of the dragon words stormed in her mind, a language she did not recognize. She wondered if Eralor heard it, for he didn't give any sign or mention the strange dragon talk. She wondered what it could have meant, what it wanted, and what it was doing her, but for the moment, all she truly cared about was protecting her life.

_Brisingr!_

_And upon those words another spray of hot fire shot across the two houses, instantly setting them alight. _

"What are we going to do!" yelled out Eira, truly scared out of her mind. She found she had wrapped herself around Eralor's arm, holding it tightly for some sense of protection.

Eralor looked around, a clear panic in his eyes, then spun around opposite of the dragon, pulling Eira with him. "Come with me, I know," he said, but Eira wasn't positive he knew what he was doing. He tried to give her a confident look.

As they exited the alley between the two buildings it seemed the enraged dragon still thought they were hidden between the two houses, for it was showering it with more flames and scratching it, threatening to bring the entire thing to the ground. As they ran as fast as they could, Eira wondered where the other villages went, particularly her family. She did notice a few guards and warriors who had taken up arrows and bows, axes and swords, and other types of war weaponry and were starting to gather around the dragon. She had never heard of a dragon being slain by regular men, but she hoped they could do something, or else they'd all die.

"Eralor!"

Eralor stopped in his tracks, causing Eira to bump into him, and he turned. A group of guards came upon them, a rather bulky one in the center who spoke further. "Your father wants you to come at this moment to the barricades. You should be safe there."

Eralor nodded. "Exactly where I was heading. Eira here is coming along with me."

The bulky guard raised an eyebrow, looking her up and down, and then looked back at Eralor. "This peasant? You're the Earl's son, Eralor, have some pride! Leave her to the guards and other villages. You're royalty, so you'll get proper protection from the beast."

Eralor seemed suddenly enraged by what the guard said, and it bothered Eira too. It was true Eralor was the son of a very important man and didn't look upon the poorer residents well. From what Eira heard, he had many times told Eralor to stop consulting with the lower beings of Imoria, like Eira. Of course, that didn't stop him. Still, to be so pompous as to deny a person protection was downright cruel.

"She will come with me or I'll be sure the Earl will have your head." His voice was cold and sharp.

The guard's eyes went wide and his face went red, as if never in his life did he hear of such a thing said to him. Regardless, he seized Eralor by the wrist and began to drag him away with the other guard's assistance, leaving Eira. "I will not have you disrespecting your father! I've been serving him for over 30 years and I'm not about to let his punk son threaten me!"

"Eira!" shouted out Eralor, struggling to try and get free of the guards. "Listen, go find somewhere safe! Find your family! I'll come get you as soon as I can!"

Of course she wanted to follow them, but a third guard had a raised pike pointed straight at her, denying her access. Reluctantly, she took a breath and spun around, running back into the inner parts of the village where the giant dragon roamed.

Keeping her distance and slipping between buildings, making sure that the dragon did not know of her existence, she worked her way towards her home where she hoped to find her family. The darkness of night helped hide her. When she was roughly half way there and could see her house sitting on the edge of the town, the loudest roar yet shook the ground beneath her feet. She knew the dragon had realized Eira was no longer there, and, frustrated, was about to take out its wrath on everything.

She caught a glimpse of fire as Eira jumped through the door of her home, landing on the floor and thankful for recognizable surroundings.

"Eira!" shouted Elisa, her sister, who ran up to her and wrapped her in her arms. "Oh thank goodness you're okay. We got split up so suddenly I had no idea what happened to you. I thought the dragon had attacked—"

"It did," said Eira, looking up at her sister with an exasperated look. "But somehow I made it out."

Elisa looked at her for a moment, confused, but then she smiled and held her close. "As long as you are safe…"

Then Eira looked up to see her mother and father, both there with her. Her mother, Elderna, took her by the hand and picked her off the ground, wrapping her arms around her. This is when Eira noticed something strange, and paying more attention, she realized her mother was crying.

"Mother…"

"I never knew something like this would happen. Living in Imoria… it should be peaceful. Your wards were almost destroyed."

"What are you talking about mother?" Elisa seemed just as confused as Eira did.

Elderna pulled back, looking deep into Eira's eyes and said, _"Lífa nagz."_

Again, it was that strange language that the dragon had spoken in. A language she did not recognize, nor know how her mother knew it. She was going to ask what she had said, but her mom spun her around and began to push her back towards the door.

"W-what are you doing, mother!" yelled out Eira, trying to pull away.

"You have to leave Imoria," said Elderna flatly, but her voice was still full of sadness. "It is not safe here anymore." She then grabbed Elisa's arm and pushed her towards the door as well. "You need to go with her, Elisa."

"Father!" shouted out Eira, looking towards Nedor.

The man looked towards her, his face blank like stone. "I can't help you Eira," he said softly. "Listen to your mother. She knows what she is doing. You too, Elisa. Take care of your sister. You're the only—"

Suddenly half of the house caved in.

The orange dragon had found them and just crashed into their house, sending splintered woods and beams and roof tiles flying through the inside, causing tables and pots and pans and chairs flying around. Eira fell backwards at the force, her sister grabbing her and holding her.

"Velren is already here," muttered Elderna, spinning around and facing the dragon that had already gotten back to its feet. Although huge, most of its body could still fit within their house. "Listen, Eira, Elisa, leave now!"

Eira thought the woman standing before her could not be the same woman she always knew. Standing and facing a dragon? It was out of this world. "Mother…"

Elisa got back to her feet and put a firm hand on Elderna's shoulder. "Mother, tell us what is going on."

Spinning around, Elderna slapped Elisa across her cheek, causing her to take a few steps back, her face shocked. "There is a _dragon_ standing right in front of us, I have no time to explain things to you! Now get out of here and leave Imoria forever!"

She then spun back towards the dragon, raising her palm and shouting: _"Thrysta!" _Again, she used the strange language, and somehow it caused the huge dragon, who apparently was named Velren, fly backwards a few feet, slamming into the back wall of the house and causing part of it to crash down upon it. "Velren you poor creature," she muttered. "You know not what you do."

Eira, knowing she couldn't get through to her mother, turned towards her father, who, surprisingly, had taken up a sword and shield in his hands. Her father, as far as she knew, was a book keeper, not a warrior. What was he doing taking up arms, especially against a dragon? She reached out for him, but he pulled away. "Father? What is going on, father?"

Nedor looked at her, his face stiff. "I'm not your father, Eira." The words stung.

Yelling out another strange word which caused the dragon to temporarily freeze up, Elderna turned towards her two daughters. "I'm sorry, my daughters. This is my fault, not yours. You have to understand that. You need to leave Imoria for your own safety. It doesn't matter where, not right now, but this is not a place of safety for you anymore…"

"He's not my father?" asked Eira, and noticed Elisa had asked it in unison.

Elderna paused, her eyes watery. "No, daughters, he is not. Your father is—"

_GALBATORIX!_

The words of the dragon Velren stung her mind like a dagger, causing her breath to stop for a moment, and the same happened to Elisa. The dragon pounced towards them, slashing at them with its mighty claws. In a swift motion, one Eira had never seen before, her father blocked the blow and in the process removed two of the claws from the dragon with his sword. Enraged the dragon roared.

"Galbatorix?" asked Elisa, her eyes wide. "That can't be…"

The dragon roared again, this time opening its mouth to spurt fire across the interior of the house.

Elderna spun around swiping her hand pointing towards her daughters. _"Thrysta un frethya!"_

Suddenly Eira felt as if her body had vanished from the face of the earth, an emptiness spreading through her body. A second later she felt a force on her chest and the wind was blown out at her. However, one thing she could feel was her hand tightly wrapped around her sisters.

She opened her eyes, realizing she was lying on the ground looking up at her house. In an instant the entire house began to crumble, a plume of smoke and fire flying up into the arm. The home she had spent her entire life in, it was gone. A dragon had destroyed it.

"MOTHER!" shouted Eira, reaching out with her hand. That is when she realized her hands, they were gone. They were… invisible. It was her mother. She must have done something to her, something to keep her hidden.

"Eira!" shouted Elisa, and Eira looked around, but couldn't see her sister. She realized her sister couldn't see her either.

"I'm here, Elisa," said Eira, her voice weak. "Our mother did something…" And a moment later the invisibly faded and they both could see each other again. Taking a moment to see if all of themselves were still there, they looked back at their home which was now nothing but rubble. In a sudden burst the dragon appeared, roaring in what seemed like pain. Looking closer, Eira noticed the dragon's wings were now more bloodier than it was before, and she could have sworn there was a sword sticking out of its back.

It spewed flames into the air, then turned west and began to fly away. Holding her breath, Eira waited until it was nothing but a dot in the sky, and then stood up with her sister, the two still holding each other close. They both looked at each other, then ran towards their home as fast as they could.

"Mother!" Pushing stone and wood out of the way, they tried to find her. "Father, where are you!"

It was Elisa who found her. "Oh no…"

Eira froze, slowly turning around. Her heart suddenly slowed and she felt a cold shiver go through her entire body. Looking in the direction of her sister, she saw a limp body half buried beneath a beam of wood that once had supported the house. Crawling over the rubble, she reached her mother as fast as she could and wrapped her arms around.

"Mother please!"

"No Eira," said Elisa, trying to pull Eira off of her. "She's not… She's.."

"NO! No… She can't be… She's our mother. Our mother can't be gone. How could she…" Tears poured down her face as she sat upright, looking down at her mother. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was slightly open in a frown. Across her chest was a huge bloody gash, and Eira noticed her mother's blood was now covering the entire front of her gown.

"I'm sorry."

Eira and Elisa looked up, and sitting a few meters across from them was Nedor. He was equally wounded. One of his eyes was bruised and swollen shut. Blood was trickling down his mouth. Multiple small and large cuts was spread across his body. But the worst wound was that his left arm was gone.

"Father," muttered Elisa, standing up and taking a few steps closer over the rubble.

"I'm not him," said Nedor, closing his eyes and looking down. "Your mother… was a good woman. She told me this might happen one day. I never left her side, even when she told me of her past… Of Uru'baen. I never left her side."

Nedor then gave a fierce cough, blood running down his face. He opened his eye, barely conscious, and looked at the two girls. "I would like… to be remembered as your father. You are daughters to me."

Tears began to pour even more than before for Eira. She stood up, struggling over all of the smoldering rubble, trying to reach her father.

"Listen," said Nedor, his back arching forward. "Your mother told me if anything happened to her… You need to seek out—URGH!"

Nedor fell forwards; his face hitting the ground and his arm and legs sprawled out. "Father!" the sisters yelled, joining him at his sides and lifting him up the best they could.

His eyes were closed and his breath was uneasy. "You need to find… urgh… go to…" He paused for a few seconds, then whispered a single word. "Ellesmera." Then he stopped breathing, and he died.

Nedor limped to his side and fell back to the ground, leaving the two girls alone in the smoldering ruins that were once their home. Eira was still sobbing, but Elisa, being the older sister, seemed to have better control over herself. She stood up, pulling Eira up with her.

"What are we going to do?" bawled Eira through tears. "Mother and father are gone… Our home is gone… What will we do now, Elisa?"

Elisa looked down at her. Her lip was quivering as she was still trying to hold back her emotions and tears. "We're going to Ellesmera," she said, trying to sound as determined as she could, though clearly it was not. "Like mother wanted."

Eira shook her head, her eyes squinting. "Ellesmera? But… Imoria is our home."

"Not anymore. We have no choice but to go. If we stay, that dragon will come back and will try to find us again. Our mother knows that. We have to go where it is safe."

Eira shook her head, almost violently. Ellesmera, she knew, was a village far north located in the huge sprawling forest of Du Weldenvarden, the home of the elves. "W-why? How will even get there? We don't know where it even is or how to get there…"

"You won't be going alone."

Gasping, the two girls spun around to see who the voice belonged to.

Standing just outside the rubble of the house stood a male elf. He seemed about six feet tall, was very slim and very angular, his chin and elbows coming to sharp points. Thin, but strong eyebrows sat on his head, his bright green eyes looking down at them. He wore a green cloak that covered most of his body, but it could be seen a quiver and a bow was strapped to his back. To Eira, the elf looked strangely familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before…

"I am Lyion, son of Aliel, and loyal servant of the queen of the elves and ruler of Ellesmera."

Their eyes were wide. Never before had they seen an elf so close to them. It was as the stories were told, their voices sounded like bells and angelic hymns, and they looked almost ethereal. It may have been the darkness of night or the moonlight shining down on him, but he truly looked otherworldly.

"Follow me, Eira and Elisa, daughters of Elderna the Wise Witch and Galbatorix, the fallen King."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Good Morning Eira

Eira stood along the most northern edges of Isenstar Lake. Although it was still night, the flames that spread through the town of Imoria were glowing brightly and reflected upon its silvery surface. In front of her stood her sister, Elisa, and an elf who called himself Lyion. As she watched the lake, she wondered if she would ever see it again.

Elisa reached forward and tugged on the side of her gown, urging her to come along. Reluctantly, Elisa turned away from the village and followed her sister and the elf.

Moments before, the two sisters were approached by the elf Lyion. Their house had just been destroyed by a dragon, where they also lost their mother, Elderna, and who they thought was their father, Nedor. Lyion had explained to them that their mother was not who they thought she was, and neither was their father. He then said he would be their guide through Du Weldenvarden and to the capital city of Ellesmera.

It had all gone by so fast for Eira; she hardly had time to even comprehend it. Less than an hour ago she was just about to choose her husband, and the next thing she knows a giant dragon appears and destroys her entire life. And it all happened on her birthday. She just wished her mother was with her and she could explain what was going on.

She had tried questioning Lyion, but he stayed silent and only told them to hurry. Eira thought it was weird that the left had appeared at the perfect moment. She also thought it was strange that they wouldn't let her change into something more reasonable; she was still wearing her birthday gown. Although to be honest, she probably didn't have any clothing left after the incident. Not only that, but what of Eralor? She had been split up from him earlier. Was he safe? She didn't have a chance to see him and explain.

"Elisa," said Eira, holding her hand as they continued closer to the forest. Elisa looked back at her, and Eira could tell all warmth inside her sister had begun to vanish. Still, Elisa held her hand tightly.

As they grew closer to Du Weldenvarden Eira began to realize just how truly the forest was. Even from the distance of the shores of Isenstar Lake the forest still looked overwhelming huge. But now, it was truly unreal to her. Oaks spread across the outer edges of the forest, reaching far into the sky. The width of the trunks covered meters in length.

Once they reached the borders of the forest and the rest of Alagaësia, Lyion stopped. He took a breath and turned to face the two girls. "After you take this next step, you'll be much safer from outside forces who wish to capture you. Be thankful and tread carefully, for the forest listens and remembers."

Eira looked at Elisa and she looked back at her. They took a breath, and, holding hands, the two girls stepped across the border and were officially within the magical forest.

"Welcome to Du Weldenvarden, Eira and Elisa."

"Now can you explain what is going on here?" asked Elisa, which surprised Eira. Elisa, up until that point, had listened and obliged to Lyion, and now she was being quite demanding. Eira guessed that since they were in the safety of the forest, she wanted to speak out more.

"In the morning I will tell you what I am able to tell you," said Lyion, not looking in her direction. "You must understand I am only a servant for a higher power than myself. You will have all of your answers once we reach Ellesmera, but until then, I can tell you little."

He then motioned for them to follow, and they did for a short while, just long enough so that when they turned towards Imoria it could not be seen through the thicket of Du Weldenvarden. It was then Lyion made makeshift beds for everyone and started a small fire by whispering a strange word, one Eira thought she had heard earlier.

"I don't expect you will sleep," said Lyion, who decided to stand guard through the night. "But you must at least try. Tomorrow will be a long day. On foot, we may not reach Ellesmera, maybe not even in two days. I could reach it myself, but you are only young girls."

Those words stung more than they should have, because Eira knew it was a fact that Elves were stronger and more enduring than humans, based on what she had heard. Still, the thought that she was so helpless hurt her. Especially since she had just entered womanhood in her village.

The prospect of seeing an elf close up was still fascinating to Eira, but she didn't say much about it right now. She had too much on her mind. Her thoughts were flowing with memories of her mother and father and her friends and family in Imoria. Now she was separated from them, forever from her parents. Now she was swept away to a strange new land with someone they only had just met. Now she only had her sister.

But she loved her sister, and she held her close in the night. And though they cried, their tears were not as bad as Eira thought they would be, for the elf Lyion had begun singing in an old tongue, one beautiful and magical, one that soothed her pain and helped her drift to sleep…

Eira woke up early in the morning. The first thing she saw was what looked like a squirrel on the ground a few meters away who had a nut in its paws. It seemed to stare at Eira for a few minutes, and then dash away up a tree, gone in an instant. Eira blinked and the memories began flowing back. Was it true? Did this actually happen to her? How could it be any other way?

She sat up and saw that Lyion was sitting across a fire from her holding a basket of what she could only tell was a combination of nuts and wild berries. Beside him was Elisa, who had taken some and was eating them one by one, very slowly, as if making sure she didn't eat too much at once. She noticed Eira sat up and she gave her a stare. Eira knew she didn't know what to say, and Eira didn't know what to say either.

"Good morning, Eira," said Lyion, inclining his head slightly. He held out the basket, offering some to Eira. Eira sat up, taking a shaky breath, and reached out, picking a peculiar orange squishy berry. She placed it in her mouth and chewed, a burst of sweet liquid feeling her mouth. Almost instantly she felt better, even if yesterday's memories weighed heavily on her.

"Is there no way we can go back?" asked Eira suddenly.

"No," said Lyion plainly. "I was instructed to bring you straight to Ellesmera in case something would happen to you, your sister, or your mother. No exceptions."

"I still don't understand that," said Eira, trying to figure out what she would do with herself. She was sitting upright now, but it didn't seem appropriate for the discussion. She felt like she should be more angry and demanding, but the berries made her feel so much better…

"I know you want answers. I can't provide everything you want to know, however. I will tell you what I can, though."

"Well, first of all," said Elisa, interrupting. "Why are we going to Ellesmera?"

Lyion was silent for a few minutes, and Eira wondered if he was going to answer at all until he finally opened his mouth. "Ellesmera, as you know, is the capital city of the Elves. It is also home to our elf queen, a young woman named Arya. There you will have safety and protection from outside forces that may wish to do you harm."

That did not answer the question, Eira thought. If anything, it made more questions. "And what are you trying to protect us from?"

Lyion looked at her, his slanted eyes leaving her feeling vulnerable. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked. "From the dragon, Velren, that tried to kill you. What else?"

"That can't be all of the answer," demanded Eira. She knew that the elf was holding something back. It was her mother. She deserved to know who was trying to attack them. "Why would a dragon attack us? I've never even seen a dragon in all of my life. I hear that some exist, but never have they been in our parts. Why, Lyion?"

"That is a difficult question to answer, Eira. To be honest, I do not know the exact answer myself. It is something you will learn once we reach Ellesmera."

"If you can't tell us that," said Elisa, who was just as curious as Eira was, "then at least explain what you meant about…" Her voice trailed off for a few seconds, and then she finished. "About our father. That dragon… I don't know how, but I could hear it speak in my head. It clearly said our father was… And then, when you appeared, you told us the same thing."

"Galbatorix," I said, and Elisa seemed to flinch, almost instinctually. Lyion also seemed to cringe.

"Yes, that is who I said. Galbatorix. You may or may not know, but Galbatorix was a Shur'tugal, a Dragon Rider, over one hundred years ago. He committed a terrible crime and slain almost all of the other Shur'tugal and their skulblaka, their dragons. Then he took the crown and became king of Alagaësia. For one hundred years he ruled, until around fifteen years ago he was slain by a new Shur'tugal named Eragon Shadeslayer and his dragon Saphira."

Eira had heard this story before. She was going to speak up, but Lyion continued without her.

"However, before Galbatorix was killed, he had met a woman who, some might say, he fell in love with. That woman was Elderna the Wise Witch, your mother. I cannot tell you exactly what happened. I cannot say how or why they met or what the motives were, for I do not know myself. I can only tell you what I know."

It took a moment to sink in. Eira was the daughter of Galbatorix. In her mind, she could not accept such a claim. It seemed too preposterous. Eira had always seen herself as a regular girl in a small town on a lake. That is the way she was raised and that was all she knew. Never had her mother seemed any more than a regular mother. It was all too much for her to bear. "Who was my mother?" asked Eira.

"I told you," said Lyion in a very straight voice. "Your mother was Elderna the Wise Witch. It is truly a shame that she has passed into the void."

Hearing the truth burned her and threatened her to burst into tears, but she held it in the best she could. "I know that," said Eira. "But you haven't told me _who_ she is."

Lyion paused, as if trying to collect his thoughts or figure out what exactly to say. He looked up and a songbird passed overhead, singing all the way. It landed on a branch, chirped, and then flew to another tree deeper into Du Weldenvarden. Lyion then smiled and looked at Eira. He sung:

_A cold winter morning greeted the songbirds_

_But they sung as if it were the middle of spring_

_And flowers bloomed around them_

_Filling their world with love and beauty and peace_

_But a blizzard appeared_

_And buried everything in the snow_

It was beautiful. It was a short passage, and although the voice was probably the best singing she had ever heard in her life, it was also the saddest. She could not help but let a tear stream down her cheek at the ending. By itself, if a human had sung the words, she was sure she would not have displayed the same kind of reaction. It must be an elf thing, she reminded herself.

And even then, that felt like enough of an explanation, at least for the present moment. Looking over at Elisa, she seemed to hold the same opinion, and neither of them mentioned their mother again. Still, there was one thing Eira was curious about, and after a moment to regain her composure the best she could, she asked it.

"How did you know we were in danger?" asked Eira.

Lyion smiled. "We've been watching over you since you were born, Eira. Even at a young age, I remember watching you from the edges of our forest as you sat on the banks of your lake looking back at us."

Eira knew she had recognized the elf in some way.

"Your mother brought moved to Imoria shortly after Galbatorix's death, taking her three year old daughter, Elisa, with her. It was a few months later that you were born."

It gave Eira some sense of reality knowing she was born in Imoria and not some far away city. At least that part of her history was some kind of truth. Not the same could be said for Elisa, however. She must have been born in the city of Uru'baen. It showed on her face she didn't feel happy about that fact.

"Elderna Spakr-Einhendr brought you to Imoria for safety reasons. What those reasons are exactly, as I have said, I do not know. But I do know she knew Queen Nasuada well, and through her, she knew Arya, our queen. After some discussion, it was set that wards would be placed upon your body along with your sister's body. If those wards would ever be activated or disturbed in any way, a group of elves would immediately come to protect you if needed. We've only had to do that once before when you were a young girl when you almost got eaten by a wild crocodile, but you were too young to remember us then."

It was all so much for Eira to understand at once, so Elisa asked the questions. "Wards were set upon us…? What exactly does that mean? And you said a group of elves. I see only one elf here."

"Well observant, Elisa," responded Lyion. "Wards, I thought you would at least know this much about magic. But I guess sense Nasuada has become queen, magic isn't what it once was even fifteen years ago. A ward is a magical incantation placed on a person for various uses. The one placed on you, Elisa, and you, Eira, was one that would protect you from damage."

"That is why I survived when the dragon blew fire on me…" said Eira. It made sense, finally.

"That was not the only ward placed upon you," continued Lyion. "One was put on you when you arrived in Imoria, one that would, as I said, alert us in case your other ward was affected in any way."

He then turned back towards Elisa. "As for the rest of the elves… Well. We've been waiting on the edge of Du Weldenvarden for the last fifteen years without a single thing happening to the either of you. The other elves have returned to Ellesmera. There have been replacements, but over the years only I have remained. It is a good thing I did, wouldn't you say?"

They both nodded, and in that conclusion, Eira felt better in some way. She felt like she trusted this elf, Lyion, much better than before and felt safer in his company. Although she still did not get all of her answers, nor did she think she would ever get every answer, she had learned a great deal and had a lot to think about.

And with that, Lyion stood. "Now, let us be off to Ellesmera. The queen Is most anxious to meet you in person."

Eira and Elisa looked at each other and nodded. They then followed Lyion close behind as they made their way deeper into Du Weldenvarden. They did not know what was waiting for them, but now, at least by a small amount, they felt safer.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Myrkva Alfa

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth," muttered Eira to herself, sitting under a giant oak tree. "The earth was formless and empty. Then God created the animals, and then God created the men, then the elves, then the dwarves in that order. He gave the forest to the elves, and He gave the mountains to the dwarves, but the rest he preserved for the men."

"What are you saying there?" asked Lyion.

The group had travelled two days since the events in Imoria. Although it was still hard to accept, and every morning caused her to ask more questions, she was slowly growing to accept her reality. They had set up camp in a small clearing, for clearings were hard to find in the elven forest Du Weldenvarden, and was just now making some kind of vegetable stew. Lyion and Elise had gone searching for some berries and roots, so Eira stayed at camp.

Eira had lost her mother and her father and her entire reality. All she had left was her sister… and her God. As custom in Imoria, all people carried around a small written holy book with them at all times. Even as Eira was in her birthday gown, she carried one as well, held under her chest garments. In such a harsh time as now, she consoled with God and read his word.

Eira looked up at Lyion, who was stirring the stew which smelled wonderfully sweet. "I'm reading the Holy Word," she answered, holding up the very small book. "Dróttinn Orð."

Interesting, Eira noticed Lyion's eyebrows rose as if he recognized the words. In response, she asked if he did.

"I'm afraid not," said Lyion slowly. "But it does sound like something you would be taught. There are as many legends in the realm of humans as there are trees in Du Weldenvarden." Eira wasn't sure what to make of that statement, if it was a compliment or not. "Tell me more."

Eira smiled and flipped through the Dróttinn Orð, looking for one of her favorite passages. Finally, on page 340, she read: "And God said to Eng'ra, son of Elg'ra, "Let your hand your companions, and let your eyes be your friends, and let your arm be your shieldmate, and when your companion comes to my kingdom, let you follow him close behind. Let the void never be greeted by the lonesome." And then God cast lightning from the sky and where the lightning struck, a sword appeared in the ground, glowing as brightly as the sun. And Eng'ra took the blade in his hand and obeyed the God above, and he joined his companions and together the city of Illeria was made for the humans, as was God's desire."

Lyion was silent for a while, and feeling uncomfortable, Eira felt like she should explain. "The story is about Elg'ra, an ancient wise warrior, who in his youth ran away from battle. It was only because of God that he realized he should fight by his friends and if needed, die by them."

"I understand," said Lyion abruptly. He was quite another minute then said, "I have just never heard of this version of the story. Elg'ra, that is a name I faintly remember reading about as a youth. Quite a fierce warrior, I do remember. However… the rest. It is not in our writings."

Eira shrugged. "Dróttinn Orð was given by God to humans, not elves." A second later she realized that might have sounded insulting and shrugged. "But I am sure He gives you the books you need just the same, right?"

Lyion smiled and chuckled. "It's not important right now. Come, have some breakfast."

Eira closed the Dróttinn Orð and put it away, joining her sister and Lyion the elf for breakfast.

It was late in the day when Lyion raised a hand for the two sisters to stop behind him. They had been travelling for hours, and Lyion had promised they would reach Ellesmera by the end of the day. Eira wasn't sure if she should feel worried, anxious, or happy. After Imoria, she wasn't sure what she was supposed to feel. All she knew was that she was supposed to go to Ellesmera because… her mother told her to. Lyion hadn't even given much of a description.

But now Lyion stopped them, and Eira wondered why. "What's the—"

"Shh."

Eira closed her lips and looked around. The journey so far had been very uneventful. She heard many sounds and saw many strange animals, plants, and food, but nothing that was threatening or dangerous. To be stopped to suddenly, her heartbeat sped up. She felt a pressure and noticed Elisa was holding tightly onto her hand.

Lyion was perfectly still for a few minutes. His long pointed ears seemed to peak up and become even more sensitive than usual. He turned his head a few times, but other than that, he was motionless. A branch suddenly cracked behind Eira and in an instant Lyion twisted around, throwing a knife like an arrow right by Eira's cheek. There was a thud of it entering flesh, and then a collapse onto the ground.

Eira and Elisa spun around, their hearts pounding, and saw what looked like another elf laying in the dirt, a knife sticking out of his chest. However, unlike Lyion, this elf had dark, puffy eyes, as if bruised, and a singular circular mark on his forehead. Lyion quickly got in front of the two girls and slowly approached the being.

"Another elf?" muttered Eira, her eyes widening.

"Quiet," said Lyion. He reached the being and bent down, putting a hand on its chest. Feeling nothing, he grabbed the hilt of his knife and freed it from the chest. Standing back up quickly, he looked at the girls, and his eyes were wide. "This is no elf."

He rushed by the girls again, waving his arms for them to follow him. Suddenly the pace had grown much faster, fast enough where the girls had trouble keeping up with the nimble elf.

"That was a Myrkva Alfa. What once was an Elf like me, one gave in to deceitful ways and immoral doings. He was one that practiced the occult and very dark magics. They are a very recent kind of elf, one we haven't known about until roughly ten years ago when the first appeared and caused chaos in the city Kirtan. Slowly after, more and more of these sightings have been made."

"Mykra Alvs," muttered Eira from behind, unsure of how to pronounce the strange words. "What should we do?"

"You do nothing but follow close behind me and tell me if you hear anything. The Myrkva Alfa are the only beings other than the riders that can kill an Elf. Young girls would not survive a second. I was lucky I coated by blade with an extremely deadly poison, for a regular blade would have little effect against one otherwise."

None of this made Eira feel comfortable. "Are there more?"

"Possibly," said Lyion. "I'm afraid I'm not as well versed in the creatures as others, as I've been mostly occupied for the last 15 years watching after you; it seems my job isn't done just yet."

The two were quiet for quite some time as they ran through the forest. Just as Eira felt as if her legs could go on any further, Lyion stopped them again. They stopped at the edge of a small creek. Across the creek a hill arched high above them, covered in giant pines. However, just at the top of the hill, bright orange glows seemed to emanate in all directions.

"It can't be…" muttered Lyion in such a sad voice it almost brought Eira to tears. He spun around to the girls and led them a ways down the creek. He then stopped and pointed at a grassy crevice that led beneath the slope of the hill. Dashing across the creek he pointed inside. "Eira, Elisa, go in and stay hidden until I come back for you. I cannot risk you going any further as I am not sure exactly what lies over that hill."

"It's Ellesmera?" asked Elisa as her and Eira entered the cove. "Isn't it?"

"Frethya," said Lyion over Elisa and Eira, causing them to both vanish before themselves, something Eira noticed her mother Elderna had done to them back when she was fighting the dragon Velren. It was as if they had vanished from existence, but she herself could still feel her. It was a very displacing feeling. "Stay."

He then stood up and looked towards the hill top. An orange glow shimmered across his pale skin. "Ellesmera… I can only hope that is what I will see."

He then vanished from sight, jumping over the cove. They heard his footsteps across the grass and ground, and then all of him was gone from senses. It was a few seconds before Eira spoke up. "Elisa, what do we do?"

"We wait for Lyion to get back," answered Elisa, but Eira wasn't sure if she was looking at her or not. "Then we do what he says."

"You sure seem to trust him a lot," observed Eira, a small frown on her face.

"You heard mother. She died to save our lives, and her final wish was to go to Ellesmera. There is no reason not to trust Lyion. His story matches ours. He just saved our lives earlier today if you forgot, and is doing the same now."

Eira frowned, looking down at the ground. She noticed the imprints of her feet on the dirt, and used it to give herself some connection in reality. "But you know what the Dróttinn Orð say. Elves, while wise, are the tricksters of Alagaësia."

"When did you become such a scholar?" asked Elisa with a sound of annoyance in her voice. "You never talked about the Dróttinn Orð so much before."

Eira shrugged, though a second later she realized that was pointless. "Remember when we were younger? While our mother was cleaning the house at bed time, our father would meet us in our rooms and read to us to help us fall asleep. If… If it is true our father was not truly our father, there is one thing I can believe in. The book he read to us, the Dróttinn Orð, told of everyone's true father, God. Our father was honest in that."

That seemed to keep Elisa quiet, and she said no more on the subject.

It had been roughly half an hour before Eira began to feel worse. She tried concentrating her hearing as best she could, but she could hear nothing over the hilltop but the chirping of birds and the sounds of the other forest animals. "We can't just stand here forever," said Eira. "Let's go see wha—"

"I smell something over here!"

Footsteps.

"Elves trying to run from Ellesmera, you think? Well go after them, go on."

The voice sounded like Lyions, like an Elf voice, but deeper and smoother, like a hard black tea. Sweet, but bitter.

Suddenly a figure appeared in front of the cove. The creature was too tall to fit within the cove, so it ducked down to get a better look. It was then they could see its face clearly. Its eyes were slanted and far apart, its nose flat and sharp, and its jaw thin. He had black hair that looked horribly greasy, spread across his forehead and lying flat on his shoulders. Surrounding its eyes was the same puffy, dark purple marks, and on his forehead was a black circle. It was a living Myrkva Alfa.

Eira held her breath, her eyes wide on the dark elf. Her entire body grew tense, but she tried her best not to move a single inch. She gave a quick glance down at her to make sure she was still invisible, and then looked back up at the creature.

"I smell something strong," said the Myrkva Alfa. Eira noticed that the teeth of the dark elf, unlike Lyions, were sharp and pointy. "Something very close…"

He then looked down and one eyebrow rose. "What is this.. Footsteps! But these footsteps do not go anywhere… As if the elf stood here and then flew away."

"Akrid!" shouted the other voice, and Akrid spun and looked to his left. "Akrid, if you see no Elf then let us go find them! Do not waste my time."

Akrid made a growling like noise that grew out of his throat and pulled away from the cove, moving just as fast as Lyion. There were soft footsteps and then no more could be heard of the Myrkva Alfa.

"That was too close!" said Eira, letting out her held in breath. "Did you see its teeth? We can't stay here, Elisa!"

"Maybe you're right," responded Elisa. "I can't be for certain, but maybe the Elves hold no more safety for us than our home of Imoria."

"Then what do we do? Wait for Lyion? He might not even be alive if there are so many of those things around. You heard what he said. Out of his own mouth, they can kill an Elf."

"I'm not sure, but there is one thing we can find out." She exited the cove, and Eira followed her footsteps as they formed in the dirt below. "Let's see what is over the hilltop."

Elisa grabbed her hand, which caused Eira to jump, then pulled her along as the two invisible figures worked their way up the steep hill. Eira's feet and calves were already burning and aching, but she kept the pace. As they grew closer, the orange and yellow hue seemed to grow more intense and defined. Eventually, they reached the top, and peaking over the edge they saw a city burning.

To Eira, it looked like what might have once been the most beautiful city in the entire world, but at the present moment, it was an inferno miles wide. Every tree and scrub, every house and roadway, ever branch and trunk, every inch of city of Ellesmera seemed coated in the orange glow of fire.

The fire seemed to flow up the trees like water in reverse. It reached the leaves of the canopy and in an instant, jumped from pine to pine. As above, below. Fire everywhere.

Then Eira began to see shapes within the flames. Blurs of light and dark seemed to bounce from branch to branch. The occasional cling seemed to resonate from somewhere, and then from somewhere else a second later. She then realized these were Elves in battle and her jaw dropped. Faster than any warrior she had ever seen in Imoria, the Elves were nothing but blurs for her human mind.

Suddenly a roar erupted from somewhere far in the city, a roar that caused Eira to have a flashback of a few days back. Although different in tone, it was a dragon that she heard.

"This is bad," said Elisa, her voice clearly shaky. "Really really bad."

"What do we do?" asked Eira, her voice almost pleading. She was only a girl after all. She wasn't sure what to do, and her sister didn't know much more.

"A-HA!"

Eira gasped, a squeak escaping her throat as she was forcefully rolled over. She felt a knee press against her stomach, knocking the air out of her lungs. Pushing down on her was the Myrkva Alfa she had seen only a moment later, the dark elf Akrid.

"I knew I smelled something, and here it is! An Elf and a spell. A female elf at that. Trying to hide herself from me and the others. Is she afraid to fight? As I remember, it was custom even for the females to fight as fiercely as the males. A frightened elf, oh is there anything more dishonorable than that, huh?"

"So you caught one," said the same voice she had heard as well, but Eira had no name or face to connect to this voice. "Get rid of her. Don't screw up again."

"BAAH!" gasped Akrid, a gurgling bulge seeming to pop in his throat. He then looked down at the invisible Eira and muttered a word: "Frethya neo."

Like a wisp of wind, Eira's figure appeared before Akrid and she was no longer hidden from view. Upon the reveal, Akrid's eyes grew wide with surprise, and his smile became a confused frown. "Why, this is no elf!" he called out. "Nor a Burðr Alfa! Why, this is a human girl!"

"A… human?" There were footsteps as the other figure grew closer, but still out of sight for Eira. "Why this is certainly a surprise. Do not kill this one. You, girl, what is your name?"

Eira shivered, tears forming in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing was coming out but squeaks. Just then, however, there was a loud smack and Akrid fell over onto the ground, surprised. He jumped back up, taking a step back and looking around. "W-what was that!"

"Frethya neo," said the other voice, raising its hand just in Eira range of vision. Elisa then became revealed just as Eira had.

Akrid gasped. "Another girl! Why, who could imagine two humans so close to Ellesmera." He then gasped a second time, this time more intense than the first, following a gurgling sound from his throat. His mouth slowly grew into a smile, showing off his sharp teeth. "Why, you don't think these could be…"

"Now don't jump to conclusions," said the other voice. "As we saw before, there was a human man in Ellesmera just today. Now that Queen Nasuada rules, it is not as unlikely for the races to intermingle as before. We should not be so hasty. What is your name, girl?"

"M-my name," muttered Eira, her eyes frozen on the smiling, drooling mouth of Akrid. "My name is Ei-,"

"SOLUS BJART!"

Suddenly a warm bright glow seemed to spread across them like a wave. Everything was bathed in light, light so bright it could be compared with only the brightness of the sun at high noon. Eira could see nothing but white, but she could hear the terrible gurgling noise of Akrid along with the other voice cursing.

There was a sound like scurrying, and then a loud pop, and then nothing. The light slowly began to fade, but it still took a few minutes for Eira's eyes to regain previous vision, though there still seemed to be a glow over her eyes.

She blinked, and at her side she saw Elisa. However, Elisa was looking at someone else.

"Oh goodness gracious, how did this come to be? Why if it isn't Eira and Elisa, daughters of Elderna Spakr-Einhendr. I do truly seem to show up exactly where interesting things are about to happen."

Eira turned at first sound of the voice and there before her stood a woman. An eccentric looking woman, she had dark curly brown hair which lay far down on her back and what looked like pale light blue eyes. She had a wonderful smile. On her body she wore a green and black type of armor that was well fitting. In one hand was a wooden staff with a green pearl on the end, and in her other hand was a white blade. Finally, on her shoulder sat a cat.

"Who are you?" asked Elisa, and Eira could tell she was just as curious.

"Oh where are my manners," said the woman. "My name is Angela the Witch."

Eira's eyes grew wide. "Another Witch?"

"The pleasure is all yours, I'm sure," said Angela, chuckling and tilting her head, her curls bouncing.


End file.
